Technology & Society

At-Home Robotic Rehabilitation

Two former college roommates have commercialized their robotic knee brace for extending the reach of physical therapists through telehealth.

An AI-Powered Wearable Device to Expedite Wound Healing

A wearable device, a-Heal, designed at the University of California, Santa Cruz, aims to expedite the entire healing process. It uses a tiny camera and AI to detect the stage of healing and deliver treatment in the form of medication or an electric field.

How to Make Data Centers More Efficient

An innovative method developed by a team at Rice University uses solar collectors for turning waste heat from data centers into reusable electrical energy.

AI-Powered Action for Rapid Disaster Response

A system uses drone imagery and artificial intelligence to rapidly assess damage after hurricanes and floods, offering life-saving insights in minutes.

Innovative Membrane Technology Promises Access to Clean Water

Water scarcity has been referred to as the silent existential crisis of our time. Our planet has very little fresh water — and is running out of it quickly. Yet no one seems to be talking about it — until Active Membranes.

Restoring Mobility and Freedom with a Wearable Robotic Device

An assistive robotic device can provide at-home therapy and also enable independence on everyday tasks.

How AI Can Help the Deaf and Non-Deaf Alike

Desperately wanting to bridge the gap between the deaf and people who don't know sign language, a Florida Atlantic University team decided to use AI and computer engineering to build a smart, real-time ASL system.

Channeling Wave Energy for Advanced Ocean Monitoring

A wave-powered remote sensing platform enhances data collection and processing at sea.

Redefining Rehabilitation with Wearable Robotics

A team of engineers is on a mission to redefine mobility by providing innovative wearable solutions to physical therapists, orthotic and prosthetic professionals, and individuals experiencing walking impairment and disability.

Accelerating Climate Modeling with Generative AI

A climate model that combines generative AI and physics data is 25 times faster than the state of the art.

How AiSee Can Make the Blind ‘See’

AiSee is a smart headphone equipped with an integrated camera, microphone, and an AI-powered software architecture. It “sees” what’s in front of the user, “hears” what the user says, and is able “speak” to the user.

Efficient, Sustainable Atmospheric Water Harvesting

Imagine being severely dehydrated and water literally appearing out of thin air. In other words: The air you breathe could quickly become the water that wets your whistle. Well, that...

Addressing the Energy Challenge with Vehicle-to-Grid Power

NREL scientists use new power electronics to support the electric power grid. Read on to learn more.

A Hydrogen-Powered Airship Sets Course for Greener Aerial Inspections

A French startup, HyLight, has developed a hydrogen-powered airship that can precisely detect issues on energy infrastructure at an industrial scale without emitting greenhouse gases.

Advancing Low-Carbon Building Materials for Construction

UBC’s nature-based solution with locally available earthen materials could aid in building climate-resilient infrastructure.

Architected Reefs Could Protect Coastlines

Artificial reefs can significantly reduce storm damage to coastlines.

Drones Detect, Monitor, and Prevent Wildfires

The detection would start on the ground via internet-connected sensors placed in CalFire-determined areas of danger. For reconnaissance missions, the team is building a rotorcraft equipped with navigation systems, sensors, and cameras.

The Path to Net-Zero with Green Propane

A promising technology in green energy capable of converting carbon dioxide into propane is being developed at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Hot Rocks Store Energy

Sandia engineers convert excess renewable electricity into heat that gets stored in piles of gravel.

Lengthening the Lifespan of Concrete with Bacteria

A team at Drexel University has engineered a grid of BioFibers that can be embedded within a concrete structure to improve its durability, prevent cracks from growing, and even enable self-healing.

Navajo Pottery-Inspired Ceramic Water Filter

Navajo pottery-inspired water filtration system developed by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin can effectively and cheaply disinfect water.

Bringing Sustainable and Affordable Electricity to All

A Cambridge, MA-based startup is commercializing MIT/IIT-Comillas University-developed planning and analysis software to help governments determine the most cost-effective ways to provide electricity to all their citizens.

3D-Printed Living Material for Cleaning Contaminated Water

A new type of material developed at the University of California San Diego could offer a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to clean pollutants from water.

Accelerating Solar Energy Research More Sustainably

A robot developed at North Carolina State University can conduct experiments more sustainably and accelerate energy materials research.

A Green Approach to Reducing Flood Impacts

Penn State researchers are exploring green stormwater infrastructure to manage severe urban flooding and pollution. They are studying ways to improve the existing green stormwater infrastructure in Lancaster, PA, as a pilot project for other cities as well.

Building a Better Prosthetic to Restore Mobility for Amputees

Prosthetic technology has seen incredible advancements over the past three decades, but the socket, one of the device’s most important parts, has remained relatively unchanged.

Sustainable Housing with 3D-Printed Homes

Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg has partnered with Alquist, a 3D printing home construction company, to 3D print homes in Williamsburg.

Tapping into Wave Energy

A technology developed by Ocean-Based Climate Solutions is converting carbon dioxide to fish food using wave energy.

3D-Printed Prostheses — Accessible and Affordable

This is a new process for the 3D printing of complete one-piece structurally sound prosthetic limbs.